Some New Spices

Jul 19 2017

I just got a package from amazon, 3 jars of Jack Stacks seasonings, Trader Joe's Chili Lime seasoning and some HP sauce.

The HP sauce is a favorite in England and called a brown sauce, tasting it, it is sweet and sour. It's a little like AI only sweet and sour.

I used to use Coulula's chili lime seasoning for chicken but can no longer find it so wanted to try some of the Trader Joe's.

I have a recipe for Jack Stacks wings and the son and I agree the best I ever made so wanted to try their seasoning rubs. A taste test they have great flavor but might be too salty for me. I will try to update this as I use them all.

Jul 20 2017

I had leftover chicken and corn to make tacos. That would be perfect for trying Trader Joe's Chili lime seasoning. I heated up the chicken with a little Maxene chili powder and heated the corn.

I heated up some soft flour tortillas and made one for me with the chicken, corn, chili lime seasoning and shredded taco cheese. The chili lime was good! My wife had one without the chili lime and had salsa and sour cream with hers.

We both had seconds and the wife tried the chili lime and liked it. I had some sour cream on my second one. I think the chili lime will be great for chicken.

Jul 20 2017

I had a brat and some corn for my lunch today. I tried the HP sauce on the brat. I liked it better than I though I would. I think it would be good on sandwiches too.

Heinz New BBQ Sauce Part 2

Jun 25 2016

I had bought a sampler pack of 4 different of the Heinz BBQ sauce. Earlier I did a rack of pork BBRibs and tried the Memphis and the Carolina styles. I finally did another rack to try the Texas and the Kansas City styles.

Tasting out of the bottle I liked the Texas style the best. I tried to do this rack as close to the first rack as far as the way I seasoned and temps and times I smoked them.

I pulled the membrane and seasoned lightly with some Penzey’s Galena ST. rub. They sat out for 45 minutes before going on the smoker. I did them for 5 hours total and sauced them after 4 hours.

I had some corn on the cob I steamed in my rice cooker and made up a salad of cottage cheese, Tennessee tomatoes and sweet Vidalia onions. I have been making the salad for years; one of our favorites when I get good tomatoes to use. I had some garlic knots I did in the oven.

We had butter, Penzey’s sandwich sprinkle and parmesan on our corn. I had the Penzey’s on my salad too.

The Kansas City sauce was too sweet for me but I liked the Texas pretty well. My wife said without adding sauce she liked the Texas better but liked the Kansas City with sauce added. Over all I would say all the sauces are better than most store bought I have had in the past. I think the Texas style would be good on brisket and the Carolina style would work well on pulled pork.

Our favorite BBQ sauce we get from my butcher Kah Meats. His recipe is from his Dad, Dick Kah.

Click Here to see Part 1

Ribs ready for the smoker.

For my salad

After 4 hrs. ready to sauce

Sauced 

Resting a bit

My corn

My supper

Heinz's New BBQ Sauces

I think anyone who watches much TV should have seen the commercial for Heinz’s new BBQ sauces. They teamed up with some famous pit masters to help create the sauces distinct to their area. The flavors are Kansas City, Memphis, Texas and Carolina. The pit masters appear in the commercial, blooper style and funny. Sam Jones from the Skylight Inn family is the pit master for the Carolina style.

I saw this sampler package of the four styles at Walmart for $5.58. The 4 bottles of sauce are 11 oz. each. It’s a way to try all the flavors without buying large bottles and should be enough for some comparison cooking.

I do not accept products to test here on my blog. If I buy a product and like it I will post about it. If I accept something then I feel obligated to at least try to be positive about it. If I buy it myself and don’t like it then I am free to say so.

The sauces

Test # 1

May 12 2016

I had a nice rack of baby backs from my butcher to use and decided to just try two of the 4 styles that came in the sampler pack. I used the Carolina and the Memphis style.

I didn’t want to do much to the ribs so most of the flavor was from the sauce. You have to have a good rub so I used my favorite Penzey’s Galena St. rub. I put it on light and didn’t use any glue. I had pulled the membrane and put the rub on both sides about 45 minutes before the ribs went on the smoker. That gave them time to get to the sweat stage. I cut the rack in half to use both sauces.

A taste test from the bottle the Carolina was a tangy vinegar and a nice heat flavor taste. The Memphis style sweet and saucy with a nice smoke flavor.

I had my Traeger heated to 190 deg. when I put the ribs on. Below are the average temps at grill level for the 5 hours 10 minutes cook time.

1 hr.  @ 205 deg.

2 hrs. @220 deg.

1 hr.  @ 230 deg.

Sauced at 4 hrs.

1 hr.  @ 250 deg.

We had leftover hominy casserole, my wife had a salad with her too and I had some Bush’s Grillen beans Southern Pit style with mine. I like beans with ribs. We also had toasted English muffins with a little butter!

The ribs were just right for me, beyond clean bite through but not completely fall off the bones.

My wife is more of a sauce person than I am. I cut us one of each of the ribs to try. I had some sauce on the side to add but she said she didn’t want any. She said she liked both but preferred the Memphis style.

I liked the Memphis style best too but want to use the Carolina sauce on pulled pork where I think it will really shine. I tried a bite of each with extra sauce but liked it better without. I didn’t know how to do a good taste test unless using the sauces on the same meat.

Bottom line is if I want sauced ribs I would buy the Memphis style again, its better than most store bought ones I have used. The Carolina sauce I will definitely buy to use on pulled pork.

Getting the ribs ready

Carolina sauce on the left, Memphis on the right

At 2 hours

At 4 hrs, ready to sauce

Done at 5 hrs.

Resting

Close up of ribs

My supper

An EZ and short way to Good Pastrami

This recipe for a smoked pastrami on a pellet grill is about the quickest way to get a deli style pastrami I know of. I used Hub’s, a fellow pelletheads recipe, for the dry rub and a guide for smoking. He shortens the time by using a pre-corned brisket flat.

I bought a corned beef flat at Walmart, a little over 3 lbs. I soaked it in water a total of 12 hours, changing the water halfway. Saturday afternoon I installed a manual fan switch on my Traeger. I got up at midnight and took the corned beef from the water, rinsed good and dried. I applied the dry rub, wrapped tight in saran wrap and in the fridge.

I got up a little after 7 am and got the smoker ready. I had bought an Amazin tube smoker, 12 inch, and wanted to try it. I loaded it with half bourbon barrel and half Traeger oak pellets. I got it lit then turned the smoker on; I had smoke from the smoker so closed the lid and went in to get the brisket ready.

I put the brisket on the smoker fat cap down and after a couple hours on smoke I inserted a temp probe for monitoring the IT of my pastrami.

I did it on smoke mode for 3 hours, averaging about 180 deg. The pastrami was at 110 deg IT and I still had un-burnt pellets in the tube smoker so I would get about 4 hours of smoke from it. I then went to 225 deg. 4 ½ hours total, the IT was at 150 deg. I double wrapped in foil and back on with fat cap up and went to 250 deg. I did a toothpick test at 165 deg. IT and took it on to 170 deg. IT. A total cook time of 5 hours 15 minutes.

I placed it in a corning ware dish w/lid and in a preheated 180 deg. oven. I turned the oven off and let it rest for 45 minutes. I then unwrapped and let it cool some then in a bag and in the fridge. I placed it in the freezer about 20 min. before slicing.

I decided to just hand slice for this small pastrami. I can slice pretty thin but using my slicer would have been better, I was getting tired & didn’t want the mess.

For supper I had some good rye bread and a choice of Swiss or provolone cheese for sandwiches. I placed 4 portions of pastrami in my Lodge carbon skillet and browned some in a little olive oil, flipped over and added the cheese, after a couple minutes all went under the broiler to melt the cheese. We cleaned up some left over’s along with the sandwiches. Everyone thought the pastrami was great; I had mine with mustard and Swiss cheese.

Eating the sandwich I could not say I got more smoke than usual. It must have been from sitting in the smoke all day! Later that night I had a couple slices cold and it had some good smoke taste; more than usual. The tube smoker worked good. Hub’s spice rub was just right for me. For a quick pastrami, Hub’s recipe and my foil method works good.

Printable Pastrami Recipe

Note: A lot of pellet smoker owners like more smoke flavor so there have been a lot of after market methods to add smoke like a Smoke Daddy or Amazin Smoker. For the most part I am happy with my Traeger but for some meats like ribs, or pastrami I like a little more smoke taste. After seeing the latest Amazin Tube Smoker used by pelletheads on the forum I bought a 12 inch one, they also have an 18 inch. I like it and would recommend it if you are looking for more smoke flavor. I look forward to doing some cold smoked cheese and salmon when the weather gets cold.

Link to see tube smoker


Corned Beef Brisket

Ready for the smoker

After 2 hours of smoke

Un-burnt pellets left in tube after 3 hours

Ready to foil

Ready to slice

Test to see if I was slicing correctly, across the grain

All sliced up

My Plate

View of sliced sandwich

Smokin Don

Smok'n Spice Mediterranean Chicken

Bentley an admistrator over at pelletheads.com, my favorite forum, received a package of a new product called Smok'n Spice from Chris at http://www.cookinpellets.com/ to try out. Since he cannot except free merchandize he ask if I would try it & test out. He knows I do a lot of different cooks & posting on the site. I was glad to try this since I was about to buy their RSI, Reusable Smoke Infusier. I received the package from Bentley Thursday & did my first cook yesterday using the product. Thanks Bentley and Chris! If you have a pellet smoker, any brand, be sure & stop in at http://pelletheads.com/ . Join us for great cooking, sharing recipes, and some fun.

Wednesday I got my Smok’n Spice stuff in the mail & was anxious to try some out. Friday I did two chickens & used the RSI full of the Mediterranean Blend pellets. Chicken probably was not the best choice, since it is always hard to get any flavors through the skin. I already had the chickens and planned on doing Friday.

Thursday evening I spatchcocked the chickens & brined overnight. Friday morning I grilled some potatoes for Smokin Potato salad, a Guy Fieri recipe. I would also have some sugar snap peas & sliced red pepper with the chickens. I got the potato salad made and rinsed the chickens & drip dried in the fridge a few hours before cook time.

I rubbed some garlic butter under the breast skin & over the chickens. I have a small sharp pickle fork I pierced the skin all over the chicken to help get some flavor past the skin. I got the RSI unit lit & chickens on at 3:30. to cold smoke about an hour & a half. I placed the chickens on the top shelf, I figured they may get better smoke coverage. I expected to see some smoke coming from the chimney of my Traeger but didn’t see any. I had to sneak a few peaks but the RSI was smoking good & chamber was full of smoke. After about 20 minutes I could see little whiffs of smoke that was coming out of the hole for the RTD wires on the left side. After ½ hour I took some pics then again at the one hour mark. At that time I was getting some pretty smoke from the chimney.

After an hour & 15 minutes I placed the chickens on the bottom shelf & turned the smoker to 300 deg. I inserted temp probes in each chicken after ½ hour at 300 deg. My grandson had baseball practice at 5:30 & I planned on getting the chicken done at 6:30.

The chickens came up evenly to 180 deg. IT at 6:30 so I turned it down to smoke mode to hold until the kids got home. When I took the chicken off I was still getting some smoke from the RSI. We actually ate about 7:00. The chicken was good, I had a leg, a thigh, & some of the breast meat. I thought it was good & had a flavor from the Med. Blend. I couldn’t distinguish the exact herb flavor; maybe Chris could jump in here & tell us what herbs are in the blend. My wife, son and daughter-in-law all thought like me; there was a flavor and was good. My daughter-in-law just ate breast meat, no skin, & said she could taste it.

I would say Chris has a pretty good product in the Smok’n Spice, I have some of each so look forward to trying them. Next week I plan on doing my Greek style BBR with the oregano pellets. The recipe is just oregano, lemon juice & zest, salt pepper and garlic. The oregano pellets should work well with it. I am not a great sage lover but have had sage sausage I like so may try the sage on some of my butchers sausage.

Link to cooking pellets & Smok'n Spice

Smok'n Spice

After 1/2 hour.

After 1 hour

Smoke from chimney at 1 hour

After moving chicken to bottom rack & firing up the Traeger

Chickens done & you can still see smoke from the RSI

My Plate

Smokin Don